Login User Name: Password: Login Help

COURSE OUTLINE

Course Title: Career Studies
Course Code: GLC2O
Grade: 10
Course Type: Open
Credit Value: 0.5
Prerequisite: None
Curriculum Policy Document: Guidance and Career Education, The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 and 10, 2006
Department: Guidance and Career Education
Course Developer: Dr. John Frogley
Development Date: January 2004
Course Revised by: Various
Revision Date: 2007

Course Description:

This course teaches students how to develop and achieve personal goals for future learning, work, and community involvement. Students will assess their interests, skills, and characteristics and investigate current economic and workplace trends,work opportunities, and ways to search for work.The course explores postsecondary learning and career options, prepares students for managing work and life transitions, and helps students focus on their goals through the development of a career plan.

Unit	Titles and Descriptions	Time and Sequence
Unit 1	Making Sense: Why Am I Here? In this unit students will think about why they are here on a variety of levels, but the unit focuses on a much smaller scale and place. The unit asks students to consider why they are in school? What is their job in being there? Students are introduced to the five processes involved in producing quality work. And the third part of this unit takes students through the steps of acquiring a job as follows: application form, resume, references, cover letter, interview and follow-up.	17 hours
Unit 2	Making a Life - Who Am I? This unit is designed to help students take an in-depth look at the marvelous people they are and can be. No matter what students end up doing, it will still be them doing it. So, the more students know about themselves, the better choices they will make; and the better choices they make, the happier they will be doing whatever they decide in their lives and work. From multiple intelligences, to learning styles, to skills and values students will finish the unit with a deeper understanding of who they are and therefore where they are heading.	17 hours
Unit 3	Making a Living - What Am I Going to Do? This unit takes what students know about themselves and applies it to figuring out what they are going to do with their lives. It does so through the use of another simulation. Students look at post secondary planning, careers as lives and careers as jobs. Trends and transitions in the workforce are also examined.	17 hours
	Final Evaluation 30% of the grade will be based on a final integrative portfolio project to be done at the end of the course. This project, which consists of several subsections, sees the student compiling what they have learned so far with research and planning.	4 hours
	Total	55 hours

Teaching / Learning Strategies:

Since the over-riding aim of this course is to help students use language skillfully, confidently and flexibly, a wide variety of instructional strategies are used to provide learning opportunities to accommodate a variety of learning styles, interests and ability levels. These include:

Simulations	Independent Research	Directed Reading Activities
Visuals	Direct Instruction	Writing to Learn
Discussions	Guided Internet Research	Multimedia Productions
Newspaper Articles Analysis	SESIR Process	Interviews
Analyzing Articles	Video Analysis	Guided Research
Quiz Construction	Video Analysis

Assessment and Evaluation Strategies of Student Performance:

Assessment is a systematic process of collecting information or evidence about student learning. Evaluation is the judgment we make about the assessments of student learning based on established criteria. The purpose of assessment is to improve student learning. This means that judgments of student performance must be criterion-referenced so that feedback can be given that includes clearly expressed next steps for improvement. Tools of varying complexity are used by the teacher to facilitate this. For the more complex evaluations, the criteria are incorporated into a rubric where levels of performance for each criterion are stated in language that can be understood by students.

Strategy	Purpose	Who	Assessment Tool
Discussion Postings	Diagnostic	Peer/teacher	Anecdotal records
Self-Evaluation	Diagnostic	Self	Rubric
Task Cards	Diagnostic	Self	Checklist
Creative Writing	Diagnostic	Peer/Teacher	Anecdotal records
SESIR Process	Diagnostic	Self/peer/teacher	Anecdotal records
Guided Internet Research	Assessment	Teacher	Rating scale
Creative Writing	Assessment	Self/Teacher	Rating scale
Mind Map	Assessment	Self/Teacher	Checklist
Personality Assessment Process	Assessment	Self/Teacher	Checklist
Application Form Completion	Evaluation	Teacher	Checklist
Resume Writing	Evaluation	Teacher	Rubric
Cover Letter Writing	Evaluation	Teacher	Rubric
Interview	Evaluation	Teacher	Anecdotal records
Follow-Up Letter Writing	Evaluation	Teacher	Marking scheme
Interview	Evaluation	Teacher	Anecdotal records
Guided Writing	Evaluation	Teacher	Anecdotal records
Essay	Evaluation	Teacher	Rubric
Expressing Points of View	Evaluation	Teacher	Anecdotal Records
Unit Tests	Evaluation	Teacher	Checklist
Final Project	Evaluation	Teacher	Rubric

Assessment is embedded within the instructional process throughout each unit rather than being an isolated event at the end. Often, the learning and assessment tasks are the same, with formative assessment provided throughout the unit. In every case, the desired demonstration of learning is articulated clearly and the learning activity is planned to make that demonstration possible. This process of beginning with the end in mind helps to keep focus on the expectations of the course as stated in the course guideline. The evaluations are expressed as a percentage based upon the levels of achievement.

Overall Expectations - GLC2O

Personal Management
Overall Expectations
GPM.01	use a self-assessment process to develop a personal profile for use in career development planning;
GPM.02	evaluate and apply the personal-management skills and characteristics needed for school success, document them in their portfolio, and demonstrate their use in a variety of settings;
GPM.03	demonstrate effective use of interpersonal skills within a variety of settings.
Exploration of Opportunities
Overall Expectations
GEO.01	use a research process to locate and select relevant career information from a variety of sources for inclusion in a portfolio;
GEO.02	identify current trends in society and the economy and describe their effect on work opportunities and work environments;
GEO.03	identify a broad range of options for present and future learning,work, and community involvement.
Preparation for Transitions and Change
Overall Expectations
GPT.01	use appropriate decision-making and planning processes to set goals and develop a career plan;
GPT.02	analyse changes taking place in their personal lives, their community, and the economy, and identify strategies to facilitate smooth transitions during change;
GPT.03	demonstrate an understanding of, and the ability to prepare for, the job-search process.

The Final Grade:

The evaluation for this course is based on the student's achievement of curriculum expectations and the demonstrated skills required for effective learning.

The percentage grade represents the quality of the student's overall achievement of the expectations for the course and reflects the corresponding level of achievement as described in the achievement chart for the discipline.

A credit is granted and recorded for this course if the student's grade is 50% or higher. The final grade for this course will be determined as follows:

• 70% of the grade will be based upon evaluations conducted throughout the course. This portion of the grade will reflect the student's most consistent level of achievement throughout the course, although special consideration will be given to more recent evidence of achievement.



• 30% of the grade will be based on a final integrative portfolio project to be done at the end of the course. This project, which consists of several subsections, sees the student compiling what they have learned so far with research and planning.

The report card will focus on two distinct but related aspects of student achievement; the achievement of curriculum expectations and the development of learning skills. The report card will contain separate sections for the reporting of these two aspects.

A Summary Description of Achievement in Each Percentage Grade Range and Corresponding Level of Achievement
Percentage Grade Range	Achievement Level	Summary Description
80-100%	Level 4	A very high to outstanding level of achievement. Achievement is above the provincial standard.
70-79%	Level 3	A high level of achievement. Achievement is at the provincial standard.
60-69%	Level 2	A moderate level of achievement. Achievement is below, but approaching, the provincial standard.
50-59%	Level 1	A passable level of achievement. Achievement is below the provincial standard.
below 50%	Level R	Insufficient achievement of curriculum expectations. A credit will not be granted.

Achievement Charts - Guidance & Career Education, Grades 9-12

Categories	50-59% (Level 1)	60-69% (Level 2)	70-79% (Level 3)	80-100% (Level 4)
Knowledge and Understanding - Subject-specific content acquired in each course (knowledge), and the comprehension of its meaning and significance (understanding)
	The student:
Knowledge of content (e.g., terminology, vocabulary, information)	demonstrates limited knowledge of content	demonstrates some knowledge of content	demonstrates considerable knowledge of content	demonstrates thorough knowledge of content
Understanding of content (e.g., theories, concepts, skills, processes)	demonstrates limited understanding of content	demonstrates some understanding of content	demonstrates considerable understanding of content	demonstrates thorough understanding of content
Thinking - The use of critical and creative thinking skills and/or processes
	The student:
Use of planning skills (e.g., focusing research, identifying a problem, locating and gathering information, organizing an inquiry)	uses planning skills with limited effectiveness	uses planning skills with some effectiveness	uses planning skills with considerable effectiveness	uses planning skills with a high degree of clarity and effectiveness
Use of processing skills (e.g., analysing, reflecting, integrating, synthesizing, evaluating, forming conclusions)	uses processing skills with limited effectiveness	uses processing skills with some effectiveness	uses processing skills with considerable effectiveness	uses processing skills with a high degree of effectiveness
Use of critical / creative thinking processes (e.g., reading process, inquiry, decision making, research, problem solving)	uses critical / creative thinking processes with limited effectiveness	uses critical / creative thinking processes with some effectiveness	uses critical / creative thinking processes with considerable effectiveness	uses critical / creative thinking processes with a high degree of effectiveness
Communication - The conveying of meaning through various forms
	The student:
Expression and organization of ideas and information (e.g., clarity of expression, logical organization) in oral, visual, and written forms (e.g., interviews, presentations, portfolios, graphic organizers, posters, letters, résumés, personal profiles, charts, reports, summaries)	expresses and organizes ideas and information with limited effectiveness	expresses and organizes ideas and information with some effectiveness	expresses and organizes ideas and information with considerable effectiveness	expresses and organizes ideas and information with a high degree of effectiveness
Communication for different audiences (e.g., peers, employers, adults) and purposes (e.g., to inform, to persuade) in oral, visual, and written forms	communicates for different audiences and purposes with limited effectiveness	communicates for different audiences and purposes with some effectiveness	communicates for different audiences and purposes with considerable effectiveness	communicates for different audiences and purposes with a high degree of effectiveness
Use of conventions (e.g., appropriate style and format for cover letters, applications, résumés, e-mails, journals, telephone calls) and of appropriate vocabulary and terminology in oral, visual, and written forms	uses conventions, vocabulary, and terminology of the discipline with limited effectiveness	uses conventions, vocabulary, and terminology of the discipline with some effectiveness	uses conventions, vocabulary, and terminology of the discipline with considerable effectiveness	uses conventions, vocabulary, and terminology of the discipline with a high degree of effectiveness
Application - The use of knowledge and skills to make connections within and between various contexts
	The student:
Application of knowledge and skills (e.g., in the areas of personal management, interpersonal relations, learning, technology, goal setting, planning) in familiar contexts	applies knowledge and skills in familiar contexts with limited effectiveness	applies knowledge and skills in familiar contexts with some effectiveness	applies knowledge and skills in familiar contexts with considerable effectiveness	applies knowledge and skills in familiar contexts with a high degree of effectiveness
Transfer of knowledge and skills (e.g., in the areas of personal management, interpersonal relations, learning, technology, goal setting, planning) to new contexts	transfers knowledge and skills to new contexts with limited effectiveness	transfers knowledge and skills to new contexts with moderate effectiveness	transfers knowledge and skills to new contexts with considerable effectiveness	transfers knowledge and skills to new contexts with a high degree of effectiveness
Making connections within and between various contexts (e.g., within and between disciplines; between learning in school and learning in the workplace; between different jobs within a workplace)	makes connections within and between various contexts with limited effectiveness	makes connections within and between various contexts with some effectiveness	makes connections within and between various contexts with considerable effectiveness	makes connections within and between various contexts with a high degree of effectiveness

Resources:

• GLC2O online course of study
• various primary and source documents
• visuals
• videos
• dictionary
• thesaurus
• various internet websites
• various software programs

Possible Reference Materials:

• Careers 10; Judith Campbell, Anne Clifton, Kelly Hoey; Pearson Education Canada, 2000
• Careers Today and Tomorrow; Leo Plue, Warren Palmer, Cheryl Karakokkinos; Irwin Publishing, 2000
• HORIZONS 2000+; Judy Misener, Susan Butler; McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2000
• Nelson Career Studies 10 Series; Lee Wallace; Nelson Thomson Learning, 2000

Program Planning Considerations for Guidance and Career Education:

Teachers who are planning a program in Guidance and Career Education must take into account considerations in a number of important areas. Essential information that pertains to all disciplines is provided in the companion piece to this document, The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 to 12: Program Planning and Assessment, 2000. The areas of concern to all teachers that are outlined there include the following:

• types of secondary school courses
• education for exceptional students
• the role of technology in the curriculum
• English as a second language (ESL) and English literacy development (ELD)
• career education
• cooperative education and other workplace experiences
• health and safety

Considerations relating to the areas listed above that have particular relevance for program planning in Guidance and Career Education are noted here.

Education for Exceptional Students. In planning courses in Guidance and Career Education, teachers should take into account the needs of exceptional students as set out in their Individual Education Plan. Guidance and Career Education courses reflect the real world, which offers a vast array of opportunities for exceptional students. Guidance and Career Education courses respond to the needs and demands of the real Canadian world.

The Role of Technology in the Curriculum. Information technology is considered a learning tool that must be accessed by Guidance and Career Education students when the situation is appropriate. As a result, students will develop transferable skills through their experience with word processing, internet research, presentation software, and telecommunication tools, as would be expected in any business environment. 

English As a Second Language and English Literacy Development (ESL/ELD). This Guidance and Career Education course can provide a wide range of options to address the needs of ESL/ELD students. Assessment and evaluation exercises will help ESL students in mastering the English language and all of its idiosyncrasies. In addition, since all occupations require employees with a wide range of English skills and abilities, many students will learn how how to search out and apply for jobs that can contribute to their success in the larger world.

Career Education. Guidance and Career Education definitely helps prepare students for employment in a huge number of diverse areas. The skills, knowledge and creativity that students acquire through this course are essential for a wide range of careers. Being able to write a clear and concise job application letter would be one goal of this Guidance and Career Education course, as it helps students prepare for success in their working lives.

Cooperative Education and Other Workplace Experiences. By applying the skills they have developed, students will readily connect their classroom learning to real-life activities in the world in which they live. Cooperative education and other workplace experiences will broaden their knowledge of employment opportunities in a wide range of fields. In addition, students will increase their understanding of workplace practices and the nature of the employer-employee relationship. Teachers of Guidance and Career Education should maintain links with community-based businesses to ensure that students have access to hands-on experiences that will reinforce the knowledge they have gained in school.

Health and Safety. The Guidance and Career Education program provides the reading and analytical skills for the student to be able to explore the variety of concepts relating to health and safety in the workplace. Teachers who provide support for students in workplace learning placements need to assess placements for safety and ensure that students can read and understand the importance of issues relating to health and safety in the workplace.